


Voices

by disaster_by_chance



Series: Capitalist Kings [9]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Eggpire on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Older Sibling Sam | Awesamdude, Parental Sam | Awesamdude, Song: Is There Anybody Out There? (Pink Floyd), TommyInnit Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 19:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30043560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disaster_by_chance/pseuds/disaster_by_chance
Summary: When Sam came home from a full day of work after time spent at the prison and helping Quackity out with L’Vegas, the last thing he expected was to find Tommy with his knees drawn to his chest, muttering to himself in the AFK spot in his base.In other words, Sam didn't expect to have a discussion with Tommy about the fact that both of them were victims to hearing voices, but he was grateful that Tommy trusted him enough to tell him.
Relationships: Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit
Series: Capitalist Kings [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166960
Comments: 6
Kudos: 181





	Voices

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Just a quick disclaimer!
> 
> This fic discusses hearing voices, but by no means am I trying to make that a bad thing. I'm just trying to write them as they are in canon, with them being chat or the voice of the Egg. I don't intend to offend anyone with this fic, I just wanted some Tommy finally talking about some of his problems to someone. 
> 
> With that being said though, thanks for reading!

When Sam came home from a full day of work after time spent at the prison and helping Quackity out with L’Vegas, the last thing he expected was to find Tommy with his knees drawn to his chest, muttering to himself in the AFK spot in his base.

It was Fran who notified him about the teenager. When Sam came home, she was waiting nervously at the in-use AFK spot, pawing at the slime with a quiet whimper. It alerted Sam that someone was on the other side of the wall and he was quick to open the door, unsure if it was an intruder or just Ponk waiting to prank him, either way, he was tense and ready to attack if needed. 

However, Sam was wrong in both instances and was instead met with the curled-up frame of Tommyinnit, head bowed and body slightly shaking. The loud, jarring sound of the door sliding back into the wall or Fran’s eager barks didn’t seem to make the kid budge. He didn’t flinch, didn’t talk, didn’t look up and greet them, nothing. He was completely consumed in his thoughts. 

Sam frowned, lowering his sword and extending a hand out to get Fran to quiet down and sit, to which she obeyed almost immediately. He smiled, giving her a quick pat on the head before he stepped towards Tommy, carefully and quietly, not wanting to startle him. 

Once he was close enough, Sam slowly knelt down so that he wouldn’t loom over Tommy, before he reached out a hand and gently rested it on Tommy’s shoulder. 

“Tommy?” he asked, his voice quiet and full of worry. 

This seemed to snap Tommy out of whatever trance he was in. The teenager snapped his head up and looked at Sam with wide eyes, his body pulling away at the gentle touch in alarm, going rigid and tense. 

“S-sam!” he exclaimed, “Is that-Is that you?” 

Sam frowned, withdrawing his hand slowly before he nodded. “Yes, it’s me,” he confirmed, “are you alright, Tommy?” 

The teen didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stared at Sam, his breathing shaky and body still tense as he tried to draw himself away from Sam. His scar-covered hands were trembling over his knees, giving Sam confirmation that Tommy was surely not okay. 

“I-” Tommy muttered, mouth opening and closing as he debated whether or not to say anything. 

_ No, don’t trust Sam. _

_ Sam is suspicious.  _

_ Sam is scary.  _

_ Sam is going to hurt you. _

Tommy cried out in frustration and put his hands on his temples, pushing hard and squeezing his eyes shut as he cursed under his breath. 

This alarmed Sam and he put his hand on Tommy’s shoulder again gently, but firm enough to assure the teen that Sam was still there. 

“Tommy, hey, Tommy,” Sam whispered, trying to get Tommy to look at him, “hey, what’s going on?”

Tommy looked over at Sam, opening his eyes slowly, but he kept his hands on his temples as tears pricked his eyes. 

“I-I don’t know,” he gasped, voice cracking, “I don’t know what’s wrong!” 

“Okay, okay,” Sam held out his other hand, “Shhh, it’s okay. You don’t need to know what’s wrong right now, that’s okay..”

_ Run, run, run, run.  _

_ Sam is suspicious.  _

_ Sam is going to hurt you.  _

_ Run, run, run, run.  _

“Tommy, I need you to breathe,” Sam encouraged, motioning with his other hand and shoulders a deep breath before he exhaled. “Can you do that? Can you take some deep breaths?” 

Tommy hadn’t even noticed how harsh and quick his breathing was until Sam pointed it out. He did his best to get it steady though, even though every inhale smelled like thick smoke and every exhale sent a burning sensation like lava throughout his lungs. 

“That’s good,” Sam nodded, smiling a bit, “just like that...in and out...in and out…” he continued to guide Tommy with his own deep breaths until Tommy’s breathing was shaky, yet steady enough to lower Sam’s level of concern. 

“Okay, good!” Sam praised, giving Tommy’s shoulder the tiniest squeeze of encouragement and reassurance. “You’re alright, okay, Tommy? I’m here…” 

Sam didn’t know what was going on with Tommy. He didn’t know why the teenager was in his base, hiding in the corner, clearing having a breakdown of sorts. He didn’t know why he wasn’t working with Sam Nook on the hotel or hanging out with Tubbo and Ranboo in Snowchestire. Truth was, he wasn’t going to know exactly what was going on until he got some kind of confirmation from Tommy. 

Because Sam knew, Sam knew the trauma Tommy endured from Dream during their time in exile. With every passing night in Pandora’s Vault, Sam would learn something new about what went down thousands of miles away from the mainland. 

How Dream manipulated him. How Dream convinced Tommy that he was the teenager’s only friend, the only person who cared when that wasn’t the case. How Dream made sure he stayed in control by cutting off Tommy’s connections with his friends. How Dream sabotaged any plans Tommy had to try and get others to visit him. How Dream constantly terrorized him with explosions every time he belittled Tommy by taking all of his things. 

How he nearly pushed Tommy to suicide. 

So, Sam knew. Sam knew that Tommy was traumatized. He knew, so that’s why he was trying so hard to protect him and Tubbo. They were both just kids, just children who were robbed of any kind of childhood after fighting in wars for years and years. Both of them sustained scars, physically and emotionally, that no child should ever have to bear. 

Sam knew, but he didn’t know the full extent of it. 

He didn’t know Tommy’s history with his brother, Wilbur. He didn’t know about Tommy’s relationship with L’Manburg and how much it meant to him. He didn’t know about the sound of explosions that sent Tommy’s mind into a panic. He didn’t know about Technoblade and how his former brother had gone behind his back and sided with Dream. He didn’t know about Philza and that Tommy looked up to him despite being abandoned time and time again by the winged-man. He didn’t know, but he wanted to know. He wanted to learn. He wanted to  _ help _ . 

If Tommy’s life was ever-changing for the bad, Sam wanted to be the singular thing in Tommy’s life that changed it for the better. 

“I’m here, Tommy…” Sam assured, “I’m here for you, okay?” 

Tommy looked over, his grip on his not as tight as it used to be, small tears sliding down his cheeks after shaky breaths. He could see Sam clearly, could feel his hand on his shoulder, and hear his calm voice full of worry for him. Sam was here. He was there for Tommy. 

_ No, no, no, no _

_ Tommy, you have to get out of there. _

_ No, no, no, no _

_ Sam is suspicious. _

_ Sam is suspicious. _

_ No, no, no, no _

“Sam, I’m scared-” Tommy admitted in a quiet voice, his body shaking in fear again as he finally said that aloud. His whole body shook in fear of what was going to happen to him next after admitting it to Sam. 

He prayed that Sam wouldn’t ignore him like Philza did. 

He prayed that Sam wouldn’t tell him to get over it like Techno did.

He prayed that Sam wouldn’t laugh and tease him for it like Wilbur did. 

He prayed that Sam wouldn’t sweetly smile and assure him that everything would be alright in a honey venom voice like Dream did. 

Tommy was so scared. So afraid. Afraid of so many things that he couldn’t possibly explain them all. For he was terrified that if he did, someone would laugh, someone would ignore him, or someone would use his fear against him. He didn’t know who to trust with this fear that he’d been carrying since the final War for L’Manburg. This must have just been his tipping point. 

Sam frowned, looking over Tommy in worry and concern. He gave a quiet sigh before nodding slowly and muttering, “I know...I know, Tommy.” He hesitated before drawing his hand back and standing up before offering his hand again, along with a small smile, 

“But if something is scaring you if something is upsetting you, let me at least distract you with some pie. How about it?” 

Tommy looked up at Sam before looking at the hand, unsure what to do. He stared at the hand, mind going silent before he slowly reached out and grabbed his hand with his own. Sam pulled him up slowly, helping him to his feet, before guiding him out of the AFK spot and into the main lobby of the base. 

_ What is he doing? What is he doing? _

_ Is he going to hurt us? _

_ We shouldn’t have come here.  _

_ He’s mad, he’s mad, he’s mad at us.  _

_ I’m scared.  _

Tommy leaned on Sam for support as they walked into the lobby, blindly following after the tall man as he stared down at the smooth stone floor, occasional tears falling onto his shoes. 

Sam whistled for Fran, motioning with his head for the dog to follow. She happily complied and trotted over to the other side of Tommy, her tail wagging happily at the sight of the boy as she also offered support, acting like a herding dog shepherding sheep. 

They walked deeper into the base before they reached the more domesticated side of it, separate from all the different farms and smelters that occupied the main lobby area. 

Sam guided Tommy to a couch in the living room, letting the teen have a seat on it. He made sure he was comfortable, handing him a few pillows and a blanket before he turned to head into the kitchen to make some pie. 

“Wait, Sam-” Tommy called out, stopping Sam in his tracks. 

“Yes?” Sam asked, turning around, eyebrow raised. 

Tommy hesitated, drawing the blanket closer to himself. He sighed before quietly muttering, “C-can you stay? I don’t...I don’t want to be alone…” 

Sam frowned at this, his heartbreaking at how scared Tommy sounded. “Tommy,” Sam walked over to him, “I’m just going to be in the kitchen, okay? It’s only a room away-”

Tommy looked up at Sam with a frown, 

“-Fran will keep you company and if anything happens, or if you need me, just call and I’ll be right over. I promise.” he gave Tommy a reassuring smile before he turned back around and headed into the kitchen. 

Fran watched him go before walking over and resting her head on the couch, looking up at Tommy as her tail wished slowly behind her. She was waiting for a command. 

Tommy looked down at her, upset about Sam leaving, but he also loved Fran, so he figured that he didn’t mind too much. With a sigh, he patted next to him and the dog happily barked before she jumped up onto the couch, sitting on Tommy’s left. 

She gave his cheek a quick lick before she flopped right down onto the couch, her large form taking up most of the space on the couch. Her head rested near Tommy’s lap and with a shaky hand, Tommy reached out and gently pet the top of her head, rubbing behind her ear. 

He knew Sam wouldn’t be long and that he had Fran to keep him company, but he couldn’t help but start to slip away again, giving in to those damned voices in his head. 

_ Don’t trust Sam. _

_ Sam is suspicious.  _

_ Remember what Big Q said?  _

_ Don’t trust Sam.  _

Tommy withdrew his hand from Fran and his eyes snapped up to the door where Sam had exited just a few minutes ago. He strained to hear something from the kitchen, something to tell him that Sam was in the next room and hadn’t just abandoned him or anything.

He waited for a few seconds. For a few minutes. 

It was maybe under ten minutes before Tommy started to panic a bit. Fran seemed to notice and raised her head, tilting it a bit as she whimpered softly, unsure what was wrong with Tommy. 

“Sam!” Tommy shouted, unable to handle it anymore, “Sam! Saaaaam!”

Seconds later, Sam appeared in the doorframe, running into the room with panic and worry etched on his features, easier to see now since he’d taken off the gas mask. 

“Tommy? Are you alright?” Sam asked, alarm in his voice as he quickly rushed over. 

Tommy’s hands were shaking again, and despite the blanket, he was shivering. He looked up at Sam, relieved to see him. 

“S-Sam,” Tommy whispered, voice breaking. 

Sam frowned and quickly walked over, taking a seat next to Tommy, the boy’s gaze following Sam as he did so. 

“Hey, you’re alright, okay…” Sam muttered, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I’m just in the other room…I’m not going to leave you by yourself, Tommy.” 

Tommy wanted to say, ‘I know,’ he wanted to trust Sam. To feel confident enough to be alone again. But those damned  _ voices _ . 

_ He’s going to abandon you. _

_ Sam is suspicious.  _

_ You can’t trust him.  _

_ He’s going to leave you like everyone else has. _

“Tommy, hey,” Sam’s quiet voice snapped Tommy’s head up, pulling him out of his thoughts if only for a second, “if you need me to stay here, I will...I just put the pie in the oven, so we can just hang out here. No talking necessary.” 

Tommy tugged on the loose ends of the blanket, yanking on them nervously as he glanced back at Sam, unable to really look him in the face at the moment. 

He liked the idea of just sitting there with Fran and Sam, no talking needed. He needed their company, after all, but sitting in silence would do him no good. He needed to talk or to hear Sam talk. He could just sit in the quiet and have the voices take control and invest his mind. He wanted...He wanted to be at peace. If he wanted silence, he wanted complete silence. No noise, no voices, nothing. Just silence. 

Sam frowned, watching as Tommy stared down in his lap, his fingers fiddling with the ends of the blanket. He still wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he wanted to help. Tommy’s state worried him and he wanted to do everything he could to make sure that something like this wouldn’t happen again in the future. 

“Or….” he titled his head, “if you want to talk, we can.”

“Yes!” Tommy nodded, his immediate response startling Sam, “L-let’s talk….” 

“Okay,” Sam smiled, though the response caught him off guard, he was at least grateful that Tommy wanted to talk. “Let’s talk then,” he gave his shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze before he let go and drew his hand back. 

He leaned against the armrest, his back to it, as he brought up his leg and folded it inwards, holding it in place with his hands. Tommy watched quietly, taking note of how Sam was getting comfortable, a sign that Sam was right in saying that he was going to stay with Tommy. Even though he could see it, the voices weren’t going to let him believe it. 

_ You need to run, run, get out of there.  _

_ He’s just lying to get your trust.  _

_ Do you really believe him? _

_ You’re pathetic. _

“Tommy.” 

Tommy looked up to meet the concerned face of Sam. An expression mixed with confusion, worry, and...guilt? 

“Tommy, whatever is going on with you,” He motioned towards him, “we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

“Going on with me? Huh, nah! Pshh!” Tommy scoffed, laughing nervously as he shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with me!” 

It was quite obvious that Tommy wasn’t okay. Anyone could see that Tommy was obviously not okay from how he kept zoning out, how he kept fidgeting, how he kept glancing around like he was on alert for a monster hidden in the shadows. He was anything but okay. 

But it took more to see that while he may not have been okay, he was trying really hard to make it seem that way. Sam had noticed it long before today, how Tommy would flinch at the slightest things, how Tommy would look depressed every time he approached the hotel until he forced a big smile for Sam Nook, how whenever Sam tried to talk to him about serious things, the teen would change the subject or try to turn everything into a joke. 

And while Sam knew that it wasn’t the healthiest of coping mechanisms, he also knew better than to push it. He didn’t want to force anything onto Tommy or pressure him into telling him things that Tommy wouldn’t be comfortable talking about. If anything, Sam preferred it if Tommy trusted Sam on his own. Sam really believed that Tommy would open himself up to him when he was ready. There was no need to force it. 

Still wary though, Sam’s worried frown twitched into something a little happier as he sighed and gave a small nod. “Right, okay…” he muttered, “well, I just want to make sure that you’re comfortable, okay Tommy? There’s nothing you need to tell me that you don’t want to.” 

Tommy frowned, looking away as his fingers nervously tapped on his bouncing knee. He knew that he wasn’t fooling anyone by saying that he was okay, that he was fine. Especially when it was someone as observant as Sam. So, Tommy appreciated the fact that Sam wasn’t trying to pressure Tommy to speak about what was going wrong. Even if Sam did, Tommy wasn’t sure what he’d say exactly. Telling someone that you hear multiple voices on a daily basis wasn’t the best conversation starter. 

Sam cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to really go about this. He may have been one of the most responsible and passive people on the server, always ready to help, but in situations like this, he never wanted to make the wrong move. He wanted to make sure that everything would be perfect so that he wouldn’t make a mistake, making things worse. He didn’t want that. 

“Let’s just talk,” Tommy muttered, looking down at his hands with a quiet frown. “C-can we do that?” 

Sam looked back over at Tommy before he nodded, smiling softly. “Of course we can, what do you want to talk about?” 

Tommy glanced back at Sam before looking back down at his hands, thinking about a potential topic to talk about. In reality, he didn’t really want to do much talking, he really just wanted to hear someone else’s voice for a change, so he figured the best way to go about it was to ask Sam questions. 

And of course, you couldn’t go wrong with women. 

“Sam, do you have any women in your life?” Tommy asked, turning to look at Sam. 

“Do I-” Sam blinked in confusion, caught off guard by the question. He laughed nervously, unsure if he heard Tommy right. “I’m sorry, did you ask if I had any women in my life?” 

Tommy nodded, “Yeah, like a girlfriend. Because I have loads.” He pointed at himself, a small, proud smile on his face. “Tons of girlfriends,” he chuckled quietly to himself, “The women just love me.” 

Sam, realizing that Tommy was serious, smiled in amusement before chuckling softly to himself. Of course, he knew that the teenager was lying, but he decided to play along. Nodding, he agreed, “I’m sure they do, Tommy. You’re a cool guy.”

“Hell yeah I am,” Tommy muttered. He then tilted his head at Sam, “Well? Do you? Because you seem like the type of guy to get a lot of women, being the Warden and whatever.” He didn’t like mentioning Sam’s persona that scared Tommy senseless every time he interacted with him, but he did it anyway. “I bet you also get loads of women.” 

Sam’s eyes widened a bit at the comment. “Huh, you think so?” 

“Yeah, women like powerful men,” Tommy stated like it was obvious. 

Sam laughed before shaking his head, “Tommy, you’re an amusing kid, but I’m afraid you’re wrong.” 

“Huh?” Tommy questioned, “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, the only women in my life are friends, like Puffy and Niki,” Sam explained, “Fran too.” he motioned to the dog on the other side of the couch who barked happily at the mention of her name. 

“But as for women in the sense that you’re asking,” Sam shook his head, “No, no I don’t.”

Tommy gasped, eyes widening a bit, “No way. You’re single? That’s lame.” 

At this, Sam laughed, finding Tommy’s straight-forwardness rather amusing. He could appreciate someone who was blunt and forward with their words. After all, it was a trait that Sam possessed as well. 

“I’m not single Tommy,” Sam informed, his laughter dying down, “I have Ponk.” 

This wasn’t the answer that Tommy had been expecting. Not that he wasn’t used to this kind of relationship, it was everyone on the server, and it wasn’t that he was offended or weirded out by it, he most certainly wasn’t, it was just the fact that it was- 

“Ponk?!” Tommy exclaimed. 

Sam nodded, smiling softly, “Hmmm, yeah.” 

“Why him?” Tommy questioned, making a face. 

“Well,” Sam sighed, “we’ve been good friends for a while and we just work well together. I don’t know how to explain it really,” he chuckled nervously, his gaze wandering elsewhere as he thought about his valentine. 

“He’s also just...really nice and sweet. Adorable too,” Sam smiled softly, a lovesick expression on his face. 

Tommy glanced over at Fran, pretending to gag while Fran just happily wagged her tail, having no idea what was going on. 

He turned back to Sam and waved a hand in front of his face. “Okay, okay, I think I get it, Romeo,” Tommy announced, snapping his fingers a few times, making Sam’s eyes widen a bit as he turned back to face Tommy. “I didn’t really need that kind of explanation.” 

“Right,” Sam cleared his throat, the tips of his ears a bright green blush. 

Tommy pulled back his hand, dropping it in his lap as he looked back at Sam. If he was being honest with himself, he had no idea that the two even knew each other. But then again, even though he and Sam were somewhat close, Tommy realized that he didn’t know a lot about the guy outside the obvious. 

_ You shouldn’t trust him.  _

_ What are you doing? _

_ We don’t know what his motives are! _

_ He’s just going to hurt us! _

Tommy quickly looked away, the action making Sam frown. 

The taller man could tell that something was up and he knew it wasn’t something about what they had just discussed. It was an outside force, maybe something in Tommy’s head. But whatever it was, he didn’t ask. Instead, he carried on with Tommy’s wishes and began to talk. 

“I hear that the hotel’s progress is going well,” Sam spoke up, slowly looking away from Tommy, “Sam Nook gave me a report the other day and said that we could start working on installing windows.” 

At the mention of the hotel and Sam Nook, Tommy seemed to be brought back. The panicked look in his eyes faded and his hand stopped gripping the blanket, his body relaxing only slightly. 

“That should be fun, right?” Sam chuckled, “Getting to start on the look of the hotel.”

“Yeah,” Tommy whispered, nodding slowly, “...fun.” 

Sam frowned a bit, but he continued on, determined to keep the conversation going to distract Tommy from whatever he was dealing with at the moment. 

“Sam Nook always tells me that you’re a hard worker. He says that you always do the tasks with little resistance or hesitation.” He looked over at Tommy and smiled. “You always get the right amount of materials every time he asks. He really appreciated that you know?” 

Tommy slowly looked over at Sam, his expression a mix of confusion and pride. “H-he does?” 

Sam nodded, “Yeah! He says that you’re easy and fun to work with. He really enjoys your company, you know.” 

“Oh,” Tommy muttered softly, a small smile forming on his face. “Aw, Sam Nook,” His voice cracked a bit as he rubbed his nose and sniffed. 

Tommy was well aware that Sam Nook was just a robot, that he wasn’t actually a real person or anything. Just something Sam had put together at the beginning of the building of the hotel. However, that didn’t change the fact that Tommy really enjoyed Sam Nook’s company and help. To him, Sam Nook was a friend. He was someone he fully trusted, robot parts and all. 

“I like Sam Nook,” Tommy sniffed, smiling softly, “He’s cool.” 

Sam smiled in relief. “I’m glad you liked him,” he mused, “I don’t know how he’d react if I told him you didn’t.” 

“You haven’t told him anything like that, have you?” Tommy suddenly exclaimed in alarm, looking at Sam in worry. 

Sam blinked before shaking his head and holding out a hand. “No, no,” he assured, “I haven’t, don’t worry. He knows that you see him as a friend.” 

Tommy sighed in relief, leaning back into the couch a little more. “Good…” he muttered. 

Sam chuckled softly before he drew a shaky breath and tapped on his knee, his eyes wandering a bit before they landed back on Tommy. He was happy to see that the teenager looked a little more relaxed now, more content and at peace, and Sam was going to make sure to keep it that way. 

For the next forty minutes or so, Sam and Tommy talked. More often than not though, Sam talked and Tommy listened. The teen was grateful to listen to someone else’s voice for a change, especially one as soothing as Sam’s. 

He learned more about the man behind the gas mask. He learned about how he came upon Fran, how she was the oldest pet on the server and therefore she meant a lot to him. He learned about how he met Ponk and how the man who Tommy had so often just seen as a lying scammer built a whole woo station for Sam just to ask him to be his Valentine. He learned about redstone and how it worked. Sam even offered to teach him the basics one day. 

All in all, it was pleasant conversation after pleasant conversation. It helped Tommy relax, it distracted him from the fact that he’d come to Sam’s base to try and hide from the voices, and it just had a familiar feeling around it that Tommy couldn’t quite lay his finger on. 

Something about the whole situation felt like home to him, but he didn’t want to admit it just yet. 

The sound of beeping came from the kitchen, making Sam stop mid-sentence. 

“Oh, that would be the pie,” Sam smiled, getting up from the couch. “I’m going to go get it, okay?” he looked over at Tommy, “I’ll be back in less than three minutes, I promise.” 

Tommy nodded, muttering, “Okay…” a little dejected over the fact that Sam didn’t finish telling him about how pistons really worked. 

He watched Sam walk into the kitchen and sighed shakily to himself, running a hand through his hair. He frowned and looked down in his lap, staring blankly at the fuzzy blanket that was draped over his legs. Fran was asleep next to him, her ear twitching as her nose pressed into Tommy’s knee. 

He was alone again. 

Of course, he knew that it wasn’t going to be long. Sam was just getting the pie out of the oven. It wasn’t like Sam was leaving him or anything, not when Fran was in the same room as him. So why was he so scared all of a sudden? Why was he so worried? 

_ What’s Sam doing? _

_ Where did he go? _

_ Why are you still here? _

_ You shouldn’t trust him. _

“Be quiet,” Tommy hissed through his teeth, clutching a fistful of the blanket, “Shut the fuck up, nobody asked you to talk.” 

He was finally feeling safe. Finally feeling comfortable. He felt like he could trust Sam, he  _ wanted  _ to trust Sam. Sam who was helping him with the hotel, Sam who built him Sam Nook, Sam who always offered his base for Tommy, Sam who was always quick to gift Tommy with things whenever he needed it. He wanted to trust him. 

_ But he was friends with Dream. _

_ He was working with Dream. _

_ You can’t trust Sam. _

_ You can’t trust the Warden. _

Tommy put his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut as he muttered for the voices to shut up over and over again in harsh whispers. He didn’t want to listen to them, he didn’t want to believe them. He...He didn’t want them at all.

“Tommy,” Sam’s voice once again pulled him out of his daze, along with the sweet smell of fresh pumpkin pie. 

Tommy looked up to see Sam standing with a tray in one of his hands and a can of whipped cream in the other. He was looking down at him with worry, which Tommy didn’t blame him for. 

“Oh, hey Sam,” Tommy muttered, doing his best to pretend everything was alright. He coughed awkwardly before pointing at the pie, “That smells amazing, can I have some?” 

Sam chuckled and nodded, “Of course you can,” He set the tray down on the coffee table in front of them before turning back around and handing Tommy a plate with a slice of pie and a small fork. 

“Did you want some whipped cream?” Sam asked, shaking the bottle. 

“Fuck yeah,” Tommy grinned, reaching out for it eagerly. “This is my favorite part.” he shook the bottle and turned it upside down, pressing on the nozzle to make the whipping cream come out in satisfying sizzles and hisses. 

Tommy laughed in delight, the sound making Sam smile, relieved that Tommy was somewhat back to normal. 

“It kinda sounds like a creeper,” Tommy commented, still covering his slice entirely with the whipping cream. “The hissing bit, it does.” He clarified, now putting some whipping cream on the side. 

“It kinda does,” Sam confirmed with a nod, eyeing the winter wonderland on Tommy’s plate with a strained smile. “I should know, after all.” He waited a few seconds before he reached out and gently started to take the bottle away from Tommy. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” he advised with a nervous chuckle, prying the can from Tommy’s hand. “You’ve got to leave some for me too.” 

“Oops,” Tommy muttered, already stuffing his face with pie and whipping cream, “Sorry.” 

“That’s alright,” Sam assured, shaking the can a few times before putting a quick, small dollop of whipping cream on top of his own slice of pie. “Just don’t get sick afterward.” 

“I won’t,” Tommy defended, crumbs and whipping cream all over his face, “Don’t worry.” 

The smell of pie and the sound of the whipping cream can had brought Fran back to life. The dog was now awake and sitting up, looking hopefully at Tommy and Sam with patient wags of her tail. 

“No,” Sam warned, shaking his head as Fran tried to lick Tommy’s plate, “that’s not for you.” 

Fran whimpered before disobediently licking the whipping cream off of Tommy’s face. Sam sighed and shook his head, muttering things under his breath while Tommy laughed and Fran barked happily. 

“That was pretty gross,” Tommy admitted, “but it was funny because she didn’t listen to you.” 

Sam looked over at the two and smiled softly, not at all that bothered by the fact. “She does that a lot,” Sam claimed. “She listens to Ponk better, even though he kidnapped, or well, dognapped her before in the past.” 

“Ha, that’s a dumb dog,” Tommy mused, looking over at Fran. 

“I suppose,” Sam shrugged, taking a bit out of his pie, “but I still love her.” 

The two sat in silence for only a few minutes as they both enjoyed their slices of pie. Even though Sam wasn’t the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, he preferred apple, he still enjoyed the warm treat. Tommy, on the other hand, was thrilled to have it. It had been a while since he had such a treat and Sam’s pies were some of the best. 

“This is really good,” Tommy remarked, putting his fork down as he finished. He set the plate down in his lap and wiped the remaining frosting off his face before Fran could get to it. He then looked over at Sam who had taken his old spot back on the couch and nervously thanked him for the treat. 

Tommy wasn’t really one to say ‘thank you’ to people. He was more of the kind of person who wanted people to thank him for just existing because he was just that awesome. So, whenever he felt the need to say thank you to someone, he felt awfully vulnerable. 

Sam smiled softly, grateful for the thanks. He knew that it was probably something Tommy didn’t spend most of his time saying, so he really appreciated the phrase. 

“You’re welcome, Tommy,” Sam hummed, “it’s really the least I could do as a host.” 

“Um...Yeah,” Tommy muttered, nodding slowly. 

The room went quiet again, the uneasy tension settling around Tommy as Sam finished up his own pie. The taller man got up and took Tommy’s plate from his lap and stacked it on top of his own before he turned to go put the plates on the tray and then take them to the sink. 

However, Tommy, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions, both good and bad, both warm and cold, both sweet and bitter, blurted out the very thing he’d been keeping a secret since the exile. 

“I hear voices,” he blurted out. 

Sam stopped in his tracks, the phrase catching him off guard. He cleared his throat, taking a shaky breath before he turned around and walked back to the couch. He set the tray back down on the coffee table quietly before he took his spot back on the couch. The entire time, Tommy just watched him with wide eyes, shocked about what he had just admitted and scared about how Sam would react. 

Sam turned so that his back was up against the armrest again, now facing Tommy with an expression of conflicted emotions. It was clear that Sam hadn’t expected this. Whether it be Tommy telling him what was wrong, or the fact that what was wrong with voices, Tommy could tell that it had frightened Sam a bit. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Sam muttered, shaking his head a bit, “Did you say you could hear voices?” 

Tommy nodded slowly, “Yeah...did you not hear me?” 

“No, no, I did,” Sam assured, holding out his hand, “I did...I just…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair to try and get rid of some nerves. “I just...I wasn’t expecting that.” 

_ Why did you tell him? _

_ He’s going to use it against you now. _

_ You messed up.  _

_ You messed up.  _

_ Sam’s going to use us against you.  _

“Well, I hear voices,” Tommy repeated, laughing drily as he brought up a hand to rub his eye. “You asked what was bothering me...What was wrong with me….Well, it’s the voices….” 

He wasn’t sure why he was telling Sam all of this. After all, the voices didn’t trust Sam. They were constantly telling him that trusting Sam wasn’t a good idea. That Sam had underlying intentions for his kindness. That because he was the Warden, he shouldn’t be trusted. 

But after today, how Sam treated him? Let him stay in his base for a bit, didn’t pressure him to say anything, made him pie, talked with him? After today’s events, after feeling like he was at home for the first time since he and Wilbur first won independence for L’Manburg, after all of that, he just wanted to trust Sam. He needed to trust him. 

He didn’t have anyone else. 

“Tommy, I-” 

“No, you don’t have to say anything,” Tommy mumbled, looking away, “It’s dumb, I knew I shouldn’t have told you.” 

“Tommy, it’s not dumb,” Sam assured, “Nothing about it is dumb. I’m just…” he hesitated, trying to choose the right words, “I’m just...I didn’t expect you to open up to me, so I’m just...I’m grateful that you did.” 

He turned and scooted closer to Tommy, making the teen look up and turn his head to look up at Sam who was currently giving him an encouraging and reassuring smile. There was trust in Sam’s eyes and Tommy wanted nothing more than to hold onto that trust. 

“Look, Tommy,” Sam started, “I know it takes a lot of courage to say something like this. To trust me enough to let me know what’s wrong, and I appreciate it so much. I want to help you, Tommy. I want to help you with whatever problems you have,  _ especially _ the emotional ones.”

Tommy looked up at Sam in disbelief, frowning as tears pricked his vision. This hadn’t been how he expected Sam to react. He thought he’d get angry, that he’d kick him out. Or maybe he’d get scared or say that Tommy was lying to him. Or worse, Sam would use the voices against Tommy somehow. 

“Why?” Tommy asked, his voice quiet, “Why do you want to help?” 

Sam frowned like the answer was obvious. “Tommy, it’s the least I can do for you. Someone at your age shouldn’t have gone through what you’ve endured. Someone your age shouldn’t be struggling like you are. I want to help to make sure that you get back on a path of recovery. I want to protect you to make sure that nothing terrible or traumatic happens to you again.” 

His voice was genuine, it was the voice of someone who you could trust, someone who had good intentions. But the voices didn’t seem to believe it. 

_ What are you doing? _

_ He’s just manipulating you! _

_ You should be more careful.  _

_ Don’t trust Sam.  _

“Sam,” Tommy’s voice was barely audible, quiet and shaking with fear, “I’m so scared. So scared of the voices.” 

“I know,” Sam nodded, putting an arm around Tommy and bringing him closer, “I know you are. Every now and then, I can see the fear in your eyes in certain situations. Every time you’ve visited the prison, I’ve seen it. With the lava-”

“Sam, they wanted me to kill myself!” Tommy cried suddenly, clutching into Sam’s green sweater and burying his face into the shoulder, “In exile! They told me to jump into the lava! They wanted me to die!” 

That statement broke Sam’s heart. The fact that Tommy would hear such things worried Sam to no end, but he was forever grateful that Tommy was telling him this. If he hadn’t, Sam wouldn’t have known otherwise. 

“Hey, hey,” Sam spoke in a soft whisper, gently rubbing Tommy’s back, trying to get him to calm down. Even Fran looked worried, a frown on her face as she watched with a tilted head of concern. “Take deep breaths, Tommy, okay? Take deep breaths…” 

Sam proceeded to take his own deep breaths, trying to get Tommy to calm down a bit. He inhaled and held it for a few seconds before exhaling, his chest rising and falling as he did it so that Tommy could feel it himself, as his head was buried into Sam’s shoulder as he cried. 

Tommy hated crying, he really did. He didn’t like feeling weak and he felt like crying showed that he was weak. That he was a big pussy. But doing it in Sam’s arms was comforting, the steady breaths and smell of redstone dust and pumpkin pie, he soon found himself breathing shakily in time with Sam. 

In and out...In and out...In and out…

“You’re going to be alright,” Sam assured, the hand on Tommy’s back making circles slowing to a stop. “I’ll make sure that you will be alright,” Sam promised, looking down at Tommy. 

The hysterical crying from admitting the voices wishes for Tommy to kill himself ceased. It was now just shaky breaths and silent tears as Tommy clutched onto Sam like a koala, using the sound of the man’s heartbeat to keep his mind occupied with another sound than the voices. 

“Now that you’ve told me,” Sam spoke quietly, “I can figure out ways to help you...But I’ll have to know a little more in order for me to help you the best that I can…” 

Sam drew a breath, “Do you think you can talk about it a little bit more?” he asked with a small frown. “If you can’t, that’s alright.” He then added, again, not wanting to pressure Tommy into it. 

Tommy pulled away and shook his head. Sniffing, he quickly wiped his tears with the back of his hand. “No,” he insisted, still shaking his head, “I c-can tell you. I’m not a pussy.” 

“Tommy,” Sam frowned, “you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Nobody will think of you any differently if you share your feelings, you know.” 

Tommy knew. He knew that it wasn’t terrible for him to share his feelings or show that he had feelings, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to seem like the weak and pathetic child that Dream made him feel like all those weeks in exile, and even before that with L’Manburg. 

No, for once, he wanted to be in control. He wanted to show that he wasn’t just a ‘kid’ and that he could handle himself on his own without feeling completely helpless. 

He swallowed, looking away from Sam as he tried to gather cohesive thoughts. His hands nervously tugged at the blanket as he tried to convince himself that telling Sam about the voices was a smart move, no matter what they said about Sam. 

“I...I need to tell someone,” he muttered before looking over at Sam, “I-I have to…” He stopped, taking a breath, “I can’t keep...I can’t keep pretending like it’s not a problem. Because, well, because it’s a huge fucking problem,” he laughed drily, rubbing his eyes, “it’s a big fucking problem and I hate it so much.” 

“Alright, okay,” Sam nodded, “You can talk to me.” 

He wanted to make sure Tommy felt comfortable and safe. He knew opening up like this was terrifying, so the last thing he wanted was for Tommy not to trust him and close in on himself like a clam. He was honestly surprised that Tommy wanted to talk, but then again, this was what he wanted. Sam wanted to know what was bothering Tommy, so he was going to sit, listen, and learn how to help Tommy. 

“Do you promise you won’t...You won’t think I’m crazy?” Tommy asked, frowning as he glanced from his fidgeting hands to Sam. 

Sam chuckled lightly. All things considered, having been on this server for ages, Sam couldn’t be bothered by ‘crazy’. So, nodding, Sam assured, “I won’t.” 

Tommy seemed to take his word for it. Even if the voices were saying no. 

_ You’re going to regret this later.  _

_ You can’t trust Sam.  _

_ He’ll only hurt you later.  _

_ You can’t trust Sam.  _

“I hear voices,” Tommy whispered, “Since exile...I’ve heard voices in my head. They aren’t constantly there, but they show up at the worst fucking times.” He groaned and rubbed at his temple. 

Sam nodded slowly, asking quietly and carefully, “What do these voices say…?”

Tommy clenched his jaw, exhaling through his nose. He didn’t want Sam to think he was weird or anything for what the voices said, he wasn’t sure how the man would react if he told them what the voices told him on a daily basis, but he already felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he told Sam that he heard voices. So he figured that if he continued talking about them, the burden might get lighter and lighter. 

“They...well…” Tommy knitted his eyebrows together as he tried to think, “In exile, they were always telling me to...to…” he swallowed shakily before changing where he was headed with that statement, “they wanted to take my last canon life. Every time I was in the Nether, with the lava...They always told me that I should jump. That I should do a flip. They didn’t want me to continue living through exile…” 

Sam went completely silent. Of course, he didn’t know how to respond to something like that. The fact that Tommy had to hear things like that, had thoughts about doing something like that, just broke Sam’s heart. Now more than ever he wanted to protect Tommy and make sure that he got to live the life he deserved. 

“I-” Tommy coughed before shaking his head, “I think it’s hereditary…” 

Sam tilted his head, raising an eyebrow slightly, “Hereditary…?”

Tommy nodded slowly, looking down at his hands. “Yeah...I know that Philza and Techno both hear voices...That’s why they’re so violent.” He frowned, thinking back to when they had taken L’Manburg’s final life with the help of TNT and Dream. “A-and...And I think Wilbur had the same problem too.” 

He never said this aloud to anyone before, but he had thought about it before. When Wilbur was starting to teeter off the edge, Tommy knew that there was something wrong. There was something that was pushing him off that edge, something that Wilbur didn’t tell him about. 

Now, Tommy didn’t know if Wilbur never said anything because he didn’t want Tommy to worry or if Wilbur didn’t think Tommy should know just because, but he knew that these voices weren’t just some coincidence. 

“The rest of your family hears voices?” Sam asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Tommy muttered, “but that’s not really the point...The point is, I-I hear these voices and I’m sick of them.” He looked up, looking angry now. “I’m sick of them trying to tell me what to do or how to act! I’m fucking sick of them!” 

Fran whimpered softly at the sound of Tommy yelling, making Sam frown and glance over at her before looking at Tommy. 

“Would you say that these voices are controlling you?” 

Tommy looked at Sam, pausing as he thought about this question before shrugging angrily and putting his head in his hands in frustration. “I don’t know! They’re always trying to dictate my choices! It’s my life!” He raised his head up, new tears falling, “Why should they tell me who to trust and who not to?!” 

“Tommy,” Sam coaxed, putting a gentle hand on the teen’s shoulder, trying to get him to calm down. 

Tommy let out a loud sigh before he rubbed his eyes and looked at Sam again. “I-I’m just tired of them trying to control my life…” He admitted, his voice quiet. 

Sam frowned, feeling terrible that Tommy would have to go through something like this. He took a breath before asking, “Then why do you let them? What power do some voices have over a life that’s completely your own?” 

Tommy blinked, his eyes wide as he pondered over this question. Because, why did he bother listening to them? Why did he give into them as often as he did? When did he become such a pussy that mere voices in his head began to take control of his life? 

“I-I...I don’t know,” Tommy finally admitted quietly. “I don’t know…” 

“I just-” He struggled to find the words, “there’s just so many of them...They get so overwhelming sometimes and I can’t help but listen! They-They...It’s like they’re  _ trying  _ to look after me! Trying to tell me who’s good and who’s bad!” 

“Who’s good to them?” Sam asked, pulling his hand off of Tommy’s shoulder, “Who do they say is trustworthy?” 

Tommy stopped, frowning as he quickly looked away. “They...They don’t trust easily,” He muttered, “For one...They...They don’t like you.” 

At that, Sam’s heart broke. The fact that these voices didn’t trust him, didn’t want Tommy trusting him, really did explain a lot. But he’d done everything he could to gain Tommy’s trust. He wanted the teen to trust that Sam was there to help and protect him. But it still wasn’t enough? 

**You know it’s not enough.**

**You’ll never be enough.** **  
** **I’ve told you already, you’ll never be able to keep this boy safe.**

**Especially from me.**

Sam closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath while Tommy looked up at him in confusion. 

“Sam?” He whispered, “Look, I-I’m sorry, it’s the voices- I..I want to trust you but they…” he frowned angrily, “They seem to think you’re a wrong-en!” 

Sam slowly opened his eyes and shook his head, “No, no, you’re alright...I understand that with being the Warden I’m not all that trustworthy but…” he sighed, “Tommy, look. Whatever the voices say, I want you to try and ignore it.”

He reached out and put both hands on Tommy’s shoulder so that the teen was looking at him. “I want you to promise me that you won’t listen to these voices, no matter how overwhelming they get.” Sam instructed, “I know it won’t be easy and I know it’ll take time to learn to tune them out, but if I know anything about you, Tommyinnit, is that you’re  _ strong _ . You’re strong and so, very, very  _ brave _ .”

Tommy blinked, looking at Sam in shock. 

“Maybe they’re trying to look after you by telling you who to trust and who to not, but if they wanted you dead at the start, then you shouldn’t trust  _ them _ .” Sam pointed out, “It’s ultimately up to you who you trust, but I just want you to know that I want the best for you. You’ve been through so much and I just want to be able to protect you, to do my job as a responsible adult and make sure that nothing terrible happens to you again, Tommy.” 

The room went silent, Sam still looking Tommy in the eyes as the other started to process this. He hadn’t expected to get this kind of advice from Sam and he didn’t think that Sam felt that way. That he needed to protect Tommy. 

If it had been any different, Tommy would’ve yelled at Sam and told him that he could handle himself, but after everything that happened to him? He wasn’t sure he could handle anymore without completely breaking. So, to hear that Sam wanted to protect him, share some of that burden, made Tommy smile a bit. 

“I-I,” Tommy cleared his throat, new tears forming, “do you mean that?”

Sam nodded, “Every word.” 

Tommy sniffed and rubbed his nose. He knew that it was easier said than done. To try and ignore the voices, even when they got overwhelming, but it was a start. And if Sam was going to be there to help him through it, he figured it couldn’t be all that bad. 

“Okay,” Tommy muttered as he nodded, “I-I can try…” 

“Good,” Sam smiled, taking his hands off, “That’s all I need you to do…” 

Tommy sighed shakily before he ran a hand through his hair. “T-thank you, Sam…” He thanked, a small smile on his face. He glanced away, giving Fran’s head a small pat, as he say how nervous the poor pooch looked for his sake. 

Turning back to Sam, Tommy tilted his head a bit. “Do you think...Do you think this will work?” 

Sam hesitated before giving a small shrug. “In the end, I think it’s really up to you. If you’re constantly in denying the voices space in your mind and actions, then things will work out in the end.”

“You seem to speak from experience…” Tommy noted with a small frown. 

Sam blinked a few times, his heart-stopping for a hot second at this comment. He quickly debated whether or not to tell Tommy about the Egg and how he had his own struggles with that damned voice before deciding that if he wanted Tommy to trust him, then he had to give Tommy pieces of his life in order to do so. 

“I...Yes,” Sam nodded slowly, ducting his head. “I’ve also...I’ve also had a little voice in my head that wasn’t welcomed.” he looked up at Tommy and gave a nervous smile. 

“You...You did?” Tommy asked, eyes widening a bit. 

“I did,” Sam confirmed, “Ever since I spent that night in the Egg..I..” he frowned, thinking about that terrible, long night. The bitter taste of his own flesh rested on his tongue as he thought, causing the hybrid to smack his lips, trying to get rid of the taste. 

“Ever since the Egg, I’ve had its voice in my head,” he tapped on the side of his head, “everywhere I went, the Egg’s voice was in my head.” 

“What did it say?” Tommy’s voice was quiet, curious. 

Sam scratched his arm, fingers trailing along the scabs on his arms, “Well...Because you and Puffy saved me, it was mad at me. So it didn’t always say nice things.” he answered.

“It would tell me that I wasn’t good enough...That I couldn't protect my friends, couldn’t protect you,” He looked at Tommy, “from its power. It made me feel...helpless...useless.”

Tommy frowned, surprised at this. He’d always seen Sam as a strong, stable adult, someone who had their shit together and didn’t like getting involved with things. So, to hear that he struggled with something came as a shock to Tommy. 

“I couldn’t get close to the blood vines without being constantly reminded about how I failed my friends…” Sam frowned, his voice quiet, “but then...Then I just refused to believe the Egg. Refused to believe that it was as big a threat as it claimed, refused to believe that it was telling me the truth. I ignored it, I stopped listening to it tell me that I was things I know I’m not.” His voice was loud as if he was reminding himself of these facts and trying to push the Egg’s voice down. 

“By ignoring it and refusing to listen to its lies...I started to get better. The Egg didn’t have that strong of a grasp on me. It was no longer in control.” Sam chuckled, seemingly delighted in the fact, as he should be. 

“So now, now I don’t hear the voice as much.” He shared, “and I have you to thank for that.” He looked at Tommy and smiled. 

Tommy blinked, pointing at himself. “Wha- Me?” he sputtered. 

Sam nodded, “Yes, you. If it hadn’t been for you and Puffy rescuing me from the Egg, if I had stayed any longer, I think it would have been a lot harder for me to resist its voice. Thanks to you, Tommy...I’m free. And I hope, that with time, you’ll be able to be freed from your own voices.” 

At this, Tommy’s face went through several emotions. First, confusion as he tried to process what Sam had said. Then came the realization with tears and incoherent stuttering before it was followed by a wide grin and the eager cry of, “Pogchamp!” 

Sam laughed, amused by his reaction. He honestly didn’t know what he expected from the teen for a reaction, but he was at least happy that he finally got to properly thank Tommy for that rescue mission. Sam wasn’t just saying that stuff to say it, as he truly believed that if he stayed any longer in that Egg he wouldn’t be where he was now. If anything, Sam feared that he might be on the Eggpire’s side had he spent more time with the Egg. 

“Tommy, I just want to say thank you,” Sam began, “not only for saving me all those weeks ago, but also for sharing this with me. It takes a lot for someone to open up to another person like you just did.” He gave the teen a bright smile. “And if anything, it shows how you’re already on the path to ignoring the voices and taking control of your life.” 

“Really?” Tommy blinked, a small smile on his face. 

“Mmh,” Sam nodded, “The voices said not to trust me, but you did. You trusted me and told me about what you’re struggling with.” 

“Oh,” Tommy blinked, frowning only for a second before his smile returned, this time bright and wide. “Oh! I guess I did!” He chuckled. 

“Take that voices!” He boasted, pointing at his head, “Yeah! Fuck you guys!”

Fran barked eagerly, tail wagging. Sam shook his head and chuckled in amusement before he held out a hand, trying to get Tommy to quiet down a little, 

“Alright, alright...I think they get the point.” Sam guessed, “But I am proud of you Tommy.” 

Tommy slowly lowered his hand as he looked at Sam, his expression softening. At those genuine words, he wasn’t sure how to react. All his life he just wanted someone to be proud of him. And not even just ‘someone’. He wanted, he needed it to be someone he looked up to. Like a father, or a brother. He needed that validation. 

And after all these years, he finally was getting it. 

“T-thank you,” Tommy choked out, his voice cracking as he tried not to cry. 

“You’re welcome, Tommy,” Sam smiled, putting a hand on top of Tommy’s head and giving his hair a light ruffle. 

Tommy grinned, snorting as Sam ruffled his hair, not really minding it all that much. Though, he did bring a hand up to wave Sam’s own hand away from his hair. 

“Hey! It took me hours to fix my hair!” Tommy lied, grinning widely, “I know I look good naturally, but the hair takes time!” 

Sam pulled away, holding his hands up in surrender, “Sorry, sorry, I won’t touch it again.” 

Tommy laughed, putting his hand down before he went silent again. He felt...He felt so much better than he did when he first stumbled blindly into Sam’s base, looking for some security away from the voices. He felt...He felt like he was at home. Here with Sam and Fran. He felt safe, secure, and at peace. 

Getting that load off his chest, about the voices, about what they said, seemed to do wonders for his mind. For once, it was silent, for once, he could think clearly, and he had Sam to thank for that. Had Sam to thank for helping him see through the voices’ attempts to control his life. Now he was on the path to being himself again. 

“Sam?” Tommy looked over at the man. 

“Yes, Tommy?” Sam answered. 

Tommy hesitated before he spoke again. “Can you promise to help me with the voices?” 

Without hesitation, Sam promised with a nod, “Of course, Tommy.”

Tommy smiled softly, muttering, “Good.” 

That’s all he wanted,  _ needed _ , to hear. 


End file.
